Barton Pump Station operating normally following pipe leak

An estimated five to 50 gallons of wastewater overflowed from a leaking pipe at King County’s Barton Pump Station on Saturday evening, March 2.

A welded cap blew off of a sewer line near the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal around dusk, causing wastewater to periodically leak out of the pipe. To stop the leak, crews temporarily shut down one of the pumps to slow flows and reduce pressure in the line. The system resumed normal operation and the pipe was repaired.

Because of the pump station’s proximity to Puget Sound, crews posted the nearby beach as closed and took water quality samples as a precaution. Initial sample results showed normal bacteria levels, and King County will reopen the beach following approval from Public Health Seattle & King County.